Democracy's Literary Method...

"If you're a supremely talented artist and you hit a very lucky day, then maybe you can write a poem or story or chapter or a novel that needs no revision. If you're a regular writer with your appointed portion of esthetic luck, you'll need to come at the piece again and again. I like to think of revision as a form of self-forgiveness: you can allow yourself mistakes and shortcomings in your writing because you know you're coming back later to improve it. Revision is the way you cope with the bad luck that made your writing less than brilliant this morning. Revision is the hope you hold out for yourself to make something beautiful tomorrow though you didn't quite manage it today. Revision is democracy's literary method, the tool that allows an ordinary person to aspire to extraordinary achievement."
--David Huddle New York Times Book Review

Huddle was quoted in my textbook for my feature writing class. Call his take on editing idealistic...but I like it...I wish that theater and vocal performances could be revised like writing can...but I guess once you put it out there, you can't take it back...